Vast Veils That Hide
by Lady Of Paranoia
Summary: Queen... ruler... leader... of a glorious kingdom. That is her destiny, her rigid fate. Serenity longs for escape and release from her chains. The Gods ignore her pleas. [Usagi centric fic]


Disclaimer: 'Fraid not. However, owning Haruka is a pleasant thought. Although Michiru would hurt me for saying that.

**_Warnings:_** Slight undertones of Shoujo-ai (if you can spot them)

**_Summary:_** Dawn and darkness. Night and day. The never-ending battle of light against dark that has raged since the human existence and will only end when this world ends. She knows this. The darkness as always overpowered her dawn. ::Usagi centric fic::

-- **Vast Veils That Hide** --

_Crystalline blue eyes gaze over the high hilltop and into the vast expanse of the sky. Behind her, an extravagant, glorious palace dwells, hazy in the thick fogs. Behind her, lay her life, her identity, her responsibility, and her churning turmoil. Behind her, lay a web woven with strong, intricate lies that rules her life, were the strings that Fate pulled to manipulate her past, present, and future. But in front of her…lay her freedom. Searing truth and freedom that could never be achieved. In front her, a battle raged, a battle of Night against Dawn, a battle that represented her life._

_It was painted in the sky, reflected like a mirror. She watches as it unfolds…as the sun attempts to rise. Golden rays break through the softly moaning sky. Those rays grow bitter, slicing its way through the thick veils of darkness that the Night had brought. Through the veils of night, the cunning masks that it wears to hide…the beauty of unreachable dreams._

_Scarlet suddenly surges through, yellow, orange and other light colors triumphantly following, spreading across the vastness like a warm blanket of happiness. The dawn is smiling, waving proudly its vibrant cape sewn with the lost threads of the dead sunset. It believes it has beaten the obscurity of night… while the night weeps for its opponent's naive ness._

_Pink and indigo splashes of confusion seep into the sky as the diminishing night's sobs of pity become more apparent. The dawn delicately blinks its thick golden lashes, wondering why darkness is falling without a fight, why it is crying with outward pity (not self-pity…). Then… the once triumphing dawn realizes (a teardrop of azure dripping onto its victory cape) that the light has not won. Its victory is an adroitly sewn illusion. It grasps with a silent howl that freedom was not won, it's naïve dream unfulfilled and it's colors of life not fully painted in. But… its anguished screams are ever pure and unadulterated. _

_The night appears to have fallen (it's morbid beauty a faded memory), but it still reigns on its dark throne of ebony and still sings of its darkest of black color (of suffering…or release?). The dawn is simply an illusion… hopes (made of golden silk) now transparent and flowing away._

_Dawn now (agonizingly) possess the knowledge that night had known all along. Knowledge of the ever sweet illusion of light that seems to win, but truly only lies behind the corners of darkness' veils, where everything consisting of hope and dreams hide. Waiting for a chance to escape… that will never arrive._

_The battle is done. The verdict decided. The night (but is it weeping for its opponent?) has sounded the victory horn. The dawn finally breaks down into open sobs (a rainy day…) and weeps for unborn dreams that will never be born… be able to blossom._

_These crystal blue eyes observe this heartbreaking, bewildering battle. These beautiful orbs weep crystal tears for the defeated dawn. The dawn was her only hope… why must it be killed so mercilessly? Not by the night, but by the force that caused the two magnificent energies to fight… What was this force? Was it the Fates… Destiny… or something else?_

"Your Highness…?"

Neo-Queen Serenity slowly turned away from the breathtaking sunrise, a soft, respectful voice behind her shaking the royal woman from her musings. The Queen's lovely eyes brightened with surprise and an unknown emotion as she saw who had spoke. And the question of Fate and Destiny once again flitted across her thoughts.

"Sailor… Mars…" Serenity paused, steadying her trembling voice, "What is the matter…?"

The raven-haired woman kneeled down into an elegant bow, her head bent downward. When she stood back up, her expression was polite and courteous, but detached. That nonchalance frightened and pained Serenity though there was no indication of her distress outwards.

"The Royal Council is waiting for you. The meeting is about to begin, my Lady," Sailor Mars murmured, her eyes gazing somewhere in the distance, beyond her queen.

"Thank you for informing me. I had almost forgotten," Serenity smiled, but her smile faltered when Sailor Mars wouldn't meet her eyes.

"Rei…?" The queen hesitated, her voice soft.

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"You know we don't have to be so formal with each other when we are not in the public eye… I'm not just Neo-Queen Serenity…. I'm Usagi also…" The young woman trailed off, her gaze gentle.

Sailor Mars finally let her gaze meet her queen's, sorrowful violet clashing with wounded sapphire. After a few minutes the warrior shook her head slightly and sighed. "My Queen, I'm afraid we don't have time to discuss this… The Council is waiting."

"But Rei… at least call me Usagi when we're alone," _Like you used to…_ Serenity's vivid eyes shimmered longingly. The queen's normal calm tone had evaporated into a pleading pitch. She winced slightly as she realized how unprofessional she was sounding, but decided that it mattered little when no one was around to notice her behavior.

Sailor Mars, however, noticed that her queen's poise was irregular. And this realization sent a tremor of pain through her heart. '_Serenity… no, Usagi…'_ Mars knitted her eyebrows together, frowning sadly. But it was not sorrow that the warrior showed to her queen as she replied; it was frigid detachment that chilled Serenity's soul.

"I can't do that… Your Highness," Her tone was chipped, empty. Mars then swiftly spun away from the other woman to face the castle's distant profile.

"The Council will be getting impatient. Please follow me." With that the raven-haired woman began stride forward, not daring to glance back.

"Rei…" Serenity chuckled bitterly, closing her eyes against the rush of hot tears that threatened to fall. One more fleeting glimpse of the risen sun… then Neo-Queen Serenity followed her warrior up the path to the splendid castle gleaming gloriously with the fresh rays of the newly born sun.

_Our destiny is painted in the sky. The truth is revealed when the sun rises. We can not escape the reign of night (of darkness)…We are trapped in the cruel snares that so sadistically allow us to hope… to hope for a brighter tomorrow… to hope for another path in life._

_She realized this a long time ago. Fate rules her life and her heart. It always has, but she had just been too oblivious to notice it. She follows the course of destiny… and nothing more._

_Fighting is futile, after all…_

_Her destiny was set in stone… her soul imprisoned, hidden by vast veils._

_**fin…**_

**_Side note(s): _**This one-shot was gathering dust on my hard drive, mocking me with its unfinished essence. **(chuckles) **I had began writing it over a year ago, but you know how procrastination goes… Thankfully, a burst of inspiration allowed me to finish it.

Anyway, reviewing is very welcomed, darlings.


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